Except Congress, all other 11 parties in the Rajya Sabha have clearly expressed their opposition to the Centre’s ordinance on control of services in Delhi, and will oppose it in the Upper House, according to a statement from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) issued after an opposition meeting convened by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. AAP leaders were not present at the joint press conference held at the conclusion of the meeting, which was also attended by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
The AAP statement insisted that until Congress publicly denounces the black ordinance and declares that all 31 of its Rajya Sabha members will oppose the ordinance, it would be difficult for AAP to participate in future meetings of like-minded parties with the Congress present. Fifteen parties participated in the Patna meeting, of which 12 had representation in the Rajya Sabha.
The ordinance, brought by the Union government on May 19, amended the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991, to notify rules regarding the transfer posting, vigilance and other incidental matters. It specifically circumvented a Supreme Court judgement in the Centre vs Delhi case on control of services. The AAP claimed that besides seeking to snatch the democratic rights of an elected government, the ordinance also posed a significant threat to India’s democracy and constitutional principles, and its defeat was crucial.
AAP accused the Congress of failing to make its position on the ordinance public and criticized Delhi and Punjab units of the Congress for urging the party to support the Modi government. The AAP also alleged that Congress’ silence raised suspicions about its real intentions, as senior Congress leaders had hinted that their party might formally or informally abstain from voting on the issue in the Rajya Sabha. The AAP urged Congress to decide whether it stood with the people of Delhi or the Modi government.
